Community invited to discuss Trayvon Martin case at Day of Dialogue on Saturday

A "Day of Dialogue" will be held Saturday at Price Chapel A.M.E in Los Angeles for the community to discuss the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Travyon Martin in Sanford, Fla., and George Zimmerman's not-guilty verdict, organizers announced Monday.

The Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles and Days of Dialogue are organizing the discussion, which will be held at the church from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The two organizations are providing facilitator training and orientation on Wednesday and Thursday at the California Endowment Building for mediators, including those from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Dispute Resolution Program, interested in helping facilitate the conversation.

"Days of Dialogue has the same purpose all the time; that is to give people a constructive way to deal with difficult issues, to advance deliberative democracy and improve the quality of public life," said Avis Ridley-Thomas, executive director of Days of Dialogue and co-director of the Institute of Non-Violence in Los Angeles. "It's so clear that it's necessary; everyone is talking about this Trayvon case. People want to have a constructive outlet to address their concerns."

Ridley-Thomas encouraged people of all ages and backgrounds to attend Saturday's dialogue to represent the community's diversity and said there will likely be additional dialogue days to discuss the issue in the near future.

The training and the discussion days are being supported by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's office and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who is the husband of Avis Ridley-Thomas, she said.

"This is to provide mutual spaces for people to share their points of views," Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. "It seems to be at the point of crisis that dialogue serves a very important purpose."

Also on Monday, the supervisor joined those calling for a boycott of Florida, but did not specify what kind of boycott he was seeking.

"My concern is to put a focus on the issue," he said. "The issue of the boycott is one to raise the question as to how do we put pressure on those states (that have stand your ground laws), that have essentially perhaps unwittingly created a more volatile environment."

The Institute for Nonviolence in Los Angeles and Days of Dialogue will provide the facilitator training/orientation from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the California Endowment Building, 1000 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles. Young people and adults interested in attending are asked to confirm their participation with Maria Garcia in the City Attorney's Dispute Resolution Program at maria.l.garcia@lacity.org or call 213-485-8324.

Saturday's Day of Dialogue will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Price Chapel A.M.E. in Los Angeles at 4000 W. Slauson in Los Angeles.

The Empowerment Congress, which serves Los Angeles' Second District, will also host a community dialogue session on Trayvon Marton's death from 9 until 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 3 at the Constituent Services Center of Supervisor Ridley-Thomas in Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles, Avis Ridley-Thomas said.